Murder in Amity
by Trevor the Enchanter
Summary: Dash Baxter has been found murdered in his home, but who committed the act? The primary suspect is 15yearold Danny Fenton, but could there be someone else with a grudge? Or is Danny guilty of 1st degree murder?
1. The crime

Okay, this is the first story I've written that doesn't have evil megalomaniacs taking over the world as the main theme. I'm basing this of Law and Order, but forgive me if I make any mistakes in police procedure. My dad works in the probation department, so I can always get clarification from him. Note: I'm working off California Law.

"Hello, housekeeping." said a maid named Julia Gonzales. She was Mexican, around 5'6, had black hair and brown eyes. She was 36 years old and had been working with the family for almost 10 years. Slowly, she walked up the steps into one of the bedrooms.

She knocked on the door but nobody answered. After around 30 seconds, she opened the door, hoping it wouldn't be another awkward situation. However, what she saw was much more horrifying…

* * *

"Maid called it in." stated police officer Sergeant Kimberly Votaw. She was 5'8, had brown hair and green eyes and had been working with Amity police for 6 years. "The victim's name is Dash Baxter, 15. He was found murdered in his room. The officers haven't found anything stolen so its believed the suspect came here with the intent to kill."

"When was he killed?" asked Inspector Henry Smith. He had been a detective for 3 years and a police officer 4 years before that. He was dressed in a suit and tie. The man was 41, blue eyes, blond hair, and around 190 pounds. He was here with his partner, Lieutenant William Robbins.

"M.E. puts it between 11:00 and 2:00 last night." replied Votaw. "The crime scene's up in the bedroom."

"They haven't had a homicide here for 5 years." said William. "Why now and why him? That's what I'm wondering." Votaw showed the two detectives the crime scene. The body was there and blood was pooled all over him.

"We think it's a knife to the chest that killed him." Votaw informed the detectives. "He was stabbed 4 times, the first one fatally. Whoever did this obviously hated him."

"Are there any prints?" asked Smith.

"Yes, they were found all over the room." Votaw replied. "The lab's running them now, seeing if anything's come up. Also, we found some partials that could belong to the murderer. In addition, we've found about a dozen hairs. Whoever did this wasn't a professional. The parents should be here in a few minutes."

"So what do you think?" asked Robbins.

"I'm not sure yet." replied Smith. He turned to one of the police officers. "Are the neighbors being interviewed?"

"Yes, they are." stated another officer. "They saw somebody running away, but nobody's been able to give us any sort of description. However, one of them said it happened at 1:24 AM."

"That'll help us somewhat." said Robbins. "Thanks a lot. I'd like to talk to some of the neighbors myself. Wonder who's got a grudge against this kid?"

"Or his parents." Smith reminded him. "They could have been the target, or maybe the teenager was killed as a method of revenge." He turned his head. "The parents are here. We better talk to them."

"What the hell is going on?" the father demanded. He had blond hair, brown eyes, wearing a dress suit and was about 6'4. He worked as a civil lawyer in Amity Park. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid we've got some bad news." stated Robbins. "Your son was murdered sometime last night." Both of them looked shocked and about ready to burst out in tears.

"Why would anyone do this?" asked Mrs. Baxter. She had blue eyes, blond hair, and was about 5'7. She was wearing a blue dress and high heels. "Who would want to kill him?"

"We think someone may have been after you?" asked Robbins. "Is there anyone you know with a grudge?"

"And out of curiosity, where were you guys last night?" asked Smith. Robbins gave him a look. "I'm sorry, but we're following standard procedure. My condolences for your loss."

"We were at a business party at the firm." Mr. Baxter replied. "There were at least 30 people there, all of whom we talked to."

"You're a lawyer?" asked Robbins.

"A civil lawyer." stated Mr. Baxter. "It was a retirement party for one of our oldest members, Alex Henderson."

"And I'm a doctor before you ask that question." Mrs. Baxter said as Smith was about to open his mouth. "The party started at 7:00, but we got there around 8."

"What time do you leave?" asked Smith.

"We left at about 12:30." replied Mrs. Baxter. "We stayed in the Phantom Hotel since we were too tired to drive home."

"We'll verify that." said Smith. "I can give you the number of a good psychologist if you want…"

"Shrinks are only for wimps and idiots." exclaimed Mr. Baxter. "We'll work through this on our own."

"Uh… Mr. Baxter, were there any clients that were angry with you?" asked Robbins. "Give you any threats, stuff like that?"

"Well, there are several." he replied. "But I can't violate attorney-client privilege."

"Look, somebody just killed your son." Smith told him. "Doing this may help us catch this guy."

"Okay, I'll give them to you." Mr. Baxter said reluctantly. "But keep this discreet. I don't want anyone finding out about that."

* * *

"He's a pretty tough parent, got to admit." said Smith once they were back at the station. Others were assigned to the Baxter case, but the duo were the lead investigators. "Still, their alibi checks out. There were half a dozen people who remember them being there."

"We ought to talk to the dad's client." replied Robbins. "Look at this. The Name's Charlie Green. Apparently he was being sued over property damage. Man lost 50,000 dollars and according to this, he was pretty pissed. Jeez, listen to some of the things he said. 3 of 4 of these I've never heard in my life."

"Well, we better go pay him a visit." Smith stated. "Still, I've got my doubts about him. Besides, the lab report came back: no hairs, and most of the prints belong to the victim."

"What do you mean, most of them? Do they have a match?"

"No, the prints aren't in the system. Makes our job somewhat harder. I'm going to do a little research on our guy, see if he's got a sheet. Maybe we'll get lucky for once. In any case, I find it a little odd that the killer didn't ever try to cover his tracks.

"Well, perhaps he wore tape on his fingers but it didn't cover the entire print.. Remember that one case in a series of burglaries? Besides, they're aren't a lot of smart criminals."

"I suppose you have a point."

Their captain started walking up to them. He was around 6'5 and weighed are 250 pounds, so he was very intimidating. He had brown hair and blue eyes, in addition to having a no-nonsense look about him. "The medical examiner wants to speak with you." He said. "She's got the report. Oh, and don't forget we're under a lot of pressure to do something. The Baxters are among the most prominent families in Amity."

"Hey, don't worry about that." Robbins replied. "So what are the others doing right now?"

"They're interviewing people at the school, his classmates, teachers, etc." The captain said. "Once the Medical Examiner gives you her report, I want you to help them out, and talk to anybody who knew him. I don't care how little."

"Hey, you can count on us." Smith replied. "When have we let you down?"

"Sorry, I just want to see justice." The captain stated. Smith had to admit, he had a few doubts about that. The man had been a personal friend of the Baxters and there was a lot of pressure from the public to make an arrest.

The M.E's name was Julia Gonzales. She was 33 and had been working in the department for around 4 years. She had black hair, brown eyes, and was around 5'7 tall.

"Well, cause of death was a stab to the heart." she told them. "If I had to guess, it would have to be a common butcher knife. The first stab killed him. The other 4 were inflicted postmortem."

"So our perpetrator was probably after the kid." Smith replied. "Are we sure that this was no robbery?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it." she replied. "Tox screen came up positive for alcohol and cocaine. When he died, he was really out of it, almost to the point of unconsciousness. Suffice it to say, our killer didn't have much of a struggle."

"What about the force of the blade?" asked Robbins. "Was he stabbed in a rage or did someone want to make him suffer?" It was at least somewhat of a foolish question, but he had to ask it.

"Well, whoever did it obviously knew exactly where to put the blade." Julia stated. "It punctured the heart cleanly and didn't go through the rib cage. But the other 4 have no particular pattern. He probably tried to throw us off."

"So is there any way to trace the murder weapon?" asked Robbins.

"I'm afraid not. There are thousands of these sold every day."

"Did the killer give the cocaine and/or alcohol to Mr. Baxter?" asked Smith.

"It's possible, maybe even probable." Julia told the detectives. "Reports indicate that he had an alcohol blood level of .62 and drank no more than a half hour before he death. The cocaine he likely used sometime last afternoon."

"Well, then it was someone who knew him." Smith told his partner, who nodded. "We'll talk to Mr. Green but I really don't think he's our guy."

"No, I've got a feeling this was personal." Robbins concurred.

* * *

"Wife said we'd find him here." Smith said, looking around Starbucks while sipping his decaf. It was your typical coffee place with people talking over hot topics, particularly one Danny Phantom. By now, around 90 believed he was a good ghost.

"Yeah, you're really complaining about the wait." Robbins replied sarcastically. "I see you're enjoying your decaf."

"Got to have something to keep me awake on the job." Smith said, chuckling. "Besides, you aren't exactly complaining about those free cookies."

"What can I say, I have a sweet tooth." He then saw a man who hit Charlie's description with a woman. "Hey, there they are."

They walked up to the man and flashed their badges. "Amity Park police department." Robbins said. "Do you mind if we have a few words with you? It won't take me than a couple of minutes."

"Sure, detectives." Charlie replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Mind telling us where you were last night, around 1 am last night?" asked Smith

"Yeah, I fell asleep in bed around 11:30." Charlie replied. "Usually get to sleep earlier, but I'm worrying about how I'm going to pay my bills ever since my son a bitch neighbor wrongfully sued me for pain and suffering. I knew I should have hired a private eye…"

"Is there anyone that can verify that?" asked Robbins. "Look, these are just routine questions, so we'll be out of your hair in no time if you answer them."

"You can ask my wife." Charlie told the detectives. "She usually doesn't fall asleep until late. I got home around 7:00, ate dinner, watched some TV, took a shower and fell asleep. Mind telling me what all this is about?"

"Mr. Green, we're just covering all the bases." Smith replied.

"Wait, this has something to do with that murder last night." Charlie replied, sounding worried. What if they started accusing him? He couldn't handle anything else right now! "I didn't have anything to do with that! I didn't even know the man had a kid. We didn't exactly spend a lot of social time together."

"Calm down, Mr. Green." Smith told him. "These are just routine questions. So is there anyone else who can verify your whereabouts?"

"No, I'm afraid not." He replied. "Uh… can we get back to our meeting?"

"All right." Robbins said. "We'll be in touch if we need anything more from you." He turned around and then stopped. "Wait a minute. Mr. Green, would you be willing to give us your fingerprints."

Charlie nodded, anxious to get this cleared up. He knew he could have refused but there was no point since he was innocent and they would be suspicious of him. He waved good-bye to the woman, who had stayed silent the whole time. Smith and Robbins escorted him into their car, where he sat, trying to look calm, but trembling inside.

Each one of his fingerprints was put in ink and set on a piece of paper. "Thank you for your cooperation." Robbins told him. "Once the results are back, you're free to go." They took the paper and compared it to the fingerprints found at the crime scene. "I'll bet anything he didn't do it. If he's guilty, why would he offer to give us his fingerprints?"

"We just have to be sure." Smith replied. After a few minutes of analyzing, the computer stated that they did not match. "Well, that clears it all up. Better go tell Mr. Green the good news."

Once they did so (and man, was he glad), they knew where to turn next. "Well, we better check out the school." Robbins said. "It's currently in session, so hopefully we won't disturb the classes too much."

That was obviously the first chapter. Next chapter: The detectives interview various classmates, including Danny, Sam, and Tucker. Unfortunately, Danny seems to be a suspect and my characters learn what the victim was truly like. Sorry for the OC's, but they're necessary in this story. Therefore, please don't complain about them. One more thing: My knowledge of police procedure is not completely accurate, so use a suspension of disbelief. It's the first time I've tried to write something like this.


	2. The investigation

I am sorry for the delay in getting the first chapter up. I've been having a few problems with my damned computer. Now we finally get to see Danny Fenton and his friends. What to know what's going to happen? Well, too bad, although I'm sure you can kind of gather it for yourself.

Note: I'm sorry for all the sections pulled together. It seems that no matter what I do, whenever I send it in, that's what happens. So I do apologize.

Detectives Robbins and Smith calmly waited in the corridors of Casper High for the bells to ring. They had learned the act of patience a long time ago, so this was nothing new to them. Sure enough, the lunch bells rang and the students ran out the doors. Some students were shocked to see them there, but brushed it off as the typical weirdness of this particular school.

"What can I do for you?" asked the English teacher. He was bald, in his mid-40's and was out of shape. "My name's John Lancer. It's a pleasure to meet you." He shook each of the detectives' hands.

"We're with the Amity Park police department on a homicide investigation." Smith told Mr. Lancer, he and his partner showing their badges. "You'll hear it in the evening papers, but Dash Baxter was found murdered this morning. Do you have any information that can help us?"

Now that shocked Mr. Lancer. He wondered how it could have happened, but swallowed down his curiosity to help them out. "How can I help you guys?" asked Mr. Lancer. "Well, Mr. Baxter was one of my students and he's the star quarterback of the school."

"Was there anyone here with a grudge against him, who could hate him enough to kill him?" asked Robbins.

"Well, he sometimes fought with a few of his classmates, although I don't see anything worth killing over." Lancer replied. "He was one of the popular students; the A-list is what they call themselves."

"So what kind of a student was he?" asked Robbins. "Did he have good grades, do badly in school?"

"He usually passed, although barely." Lancer told the detectives. "He wasn't all that good of a student. Most of his talent was on the football field."

"Thank you, Mr. Lancer." Smith stated formally. "We'll get back to you if we need anything more. Thanks for your help."

As they were about to leave, Lancer spoke up once again. "I think there's something else I have to say." He said, bowing his head. "The school board doesn't want me to tell you this, but he's among the worst bullies in the school. Most of the school board is in his father's pocket and they don't want it getting out anyway. I have to keep him out of trouble, or I lose my job. However, I can't bring myself to care much anymore. God help me, I'm not too sorry he's dead."

Suddenly a little suspicious, Robbins asked: "Where were you last night, Mr. Lancer?" he asked.

"I was at home grading tests from that day's quiz on 'to kill a mockingbird'." Lancer replied.

"Is there anyone who can verify that?" asked Smith.

"Well, I've lived alone since my wife left me 5 years ago, so no." Mr. Lancer stated, slightly worried. "If it's any help, I can give you a list of complaints towards Mr. Baxter. It'll take some time to go through, I got to warn you."

The detectives thanked him as he gave him the notes and they left, reviewing them as they walked. Eventually, they sat down on one of the benches.

"This one says he was cruel and hurtful towards a pair of freshmen." Smith said to his partner, looking over one of the complaints. Personally, he found it a little strange that the school had complaints written in writing, but shrugged. He was known for being old-fashioned. "And this one by a student that he allegedly beat, causing major bruises to the torso."

"There are also a few about sexual harassment." Robbins added. "this one states that Mr. Baxter had made suggestive remarks to a girl named Florence Johnson. Doesn't the school do anything about this?"

"I told you they're more concerned about their reputations than the welfare of the students." Smith replied. "If word of this got out, they'd be up to their neck in lawsuits."

"Ordinarily, I'd disagree with you yet again, but in this case, it looks like you may be right. There's a report of Mr. Baxter tormenting without end a boy named Danny Fenton. All I've done is skim through it and I've found 5 reports that have his name on it."

"I think we ought to check him out. We can look at these more at the precinct." They got up and looked for the Fenton kid. They asked another one of the teachers, who gave them a basic physical description. He wasn't hard to miss, especially with his giant blue eyes. Eventually, they found him, walking around with an arm brace, a girl walking next to him.

"Danny Fenton, we're the Amity Park Police Department." Robbins told the teenager, the detectives showing their badges once again. "Can we have a word with you privately?"

The girl looked worried, but he shrugged and followed them. Once they were alone, Smith got down to business. "Can you answer a couple of questions for us?" He noticed the girl in the distance, watching them warily.

"That's just my sister." Danny stated. "So how can I help you?"

"Where were you last night, around 1:00, 1:30?" asked Robbins.

"I was up late, forced to finish my history homework." Danny replied. "Things came up and I was forced to do it late at night."

"Can anyone corroborate your story?" Smith asked the teen.

"Well, no; my parents and sister are usually asleep by midnight." Danny said, wondering what this is about.

"How do you get along with Dash Baxter?" Robbins wondered, pressing the teen slightly. "Do you guys have any fights, arguments?"

"Well, I don't like him much and he doesn't treat me very well." Danny said. "Mind telling me what this is about?"

"Do you have any sort of grudge against him?" asked Smith. "Has he done anything to you?"

"Well, he's bullied me a few times, but it's nothing serious, really. Just your typical… high school… stuff. What is all this about?"

"Have you ever been inside his house before, for any reason at all?" asked Smith.

"Well, we're study buddies in History class, so I have to work with him. He's not very good at history, to put it lightly. Oh, and there was once a party at his house that I was invited to."

"Do you study in the living room, his bedroom, where?"

"We usually study in the bedroom, although I sometimes wander out to take a break or go to the bathroom. Again, what is this all about?"

Smith debated with himself for a couple of seconds, then decided to tell him. "We've investigating the death of Dash Baxter. He was murdered this morning."

"And you think I did it? Dudes, I don't like him very much, but I don't hate him enough to kill him. Besides, I have a broken arm."

"You have made over a dozen complaints about Mr. Baxter since you've entered high school, correct?"

"Well, yes, but I don't see…"

"Hey, we can understand if you had enough." Robbins said. "There could be mitigating circumstances."

"You guys are getting the wrong idea!" Danny exclaimed, alarmed. "I'm innocent; I didn't do anything! And I don't know what mitigating means!"

"Danny, you can tell us." Robbins stated. "We're not going to hurt you. We'll be lenient. Just tell us what happened."

"I didn't do anything!" Danny exclaimed. "Why don't you believe me?"

The bell rang and he didn't need to be told twice. He ran, accidentally tripping and falling on his bad arm. He slowly, painfully got up, his sister doing her best to help him. "Jazz, go!" Danny insisted. "You'll be late for class!"

"We're doing anatomy, so I can afford to be a bit late." Jazz replied. "Come on, just be careful."

"You really shouldn't have done that, William." Smith told him. "He's only 15 and obviously a shy kid."

"I just have a feeling he's the one we're looking for, but you're right; I shouldn't have done that." Robbins replied. "I'm just kind of concerned about finding the culprit. Though I got to admit, part of me thinks he got what he deserved, even if half of those stories are true."

"We don't get to pick the victim." Smith replied. "No matter who it is, we have to get justice for them, despite the kind of person he is. Come on, we still have to talk to some of the others."

They decided to talk to some of the less popular students who basically gave them the same story Danny did. However, most of them had alibis that night, save a couple and there was no real evidence against anyone. Now they were talking to Danny's best friends, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley.

"So why exactly are you asking us these questions?" asked Tucker, holding a PDA in his hand. He wasn't exactly happy at being torn away from his game. "Are we in trouble?"

"It's part of an investigation." Smith said yet again. "Please tell us where you were last night."

"Hey, I was at home playing video games." Tucker replied. "It tells you what time you last played it, if you want to verify it. What exactly is all this about?"

"You'll learn about it on the 6:00 news." Robbins stated. "Can your parents corroborate your story?"

"And what about you, Miss Manson?" asked Smith. "Do you have an alibi?"

"Yes, I was home listening to music." Sam replied. "My parents know about that. They were screaming at me to turn it down. I got grounded for a week because I didn't listen."

"Have either of you had any problems with Mr. Baxter?" asked Smith, wondering if they had a motive. "Did he do anything to you two?"

"Yeah, he usually stuffed me in my locker about twice a day." Tucker stated. "Danny had it even worse, though. Hey, are you guys investigating what he did? If he goes on trial, I'll be happy to testify against him."

"He didn't do too much to me, mainly just insults." Sam told the detectives. "Got to admit, it was annoying watching him make out with that slut, Paulina."

"He had a girlfriend?" asked Smith. "Do you know if he treated her badly or anything of that sort?"

"Not that I know, but I can't say that I care." Sam sneered. "Those two are perfect for one another."

"Do either of you know where Danny was last night?" asked Smith. If they couldn't provide an alibi, Danny Fenton would be the primary suspect.

"No, he didn't call us for some reason." Tucker stated in confusion. "Usually he gives us at least a quick call, but last night, there was nothing. I don't know why, but he has been kind of depressed lately."

"We'll be in touch." Robbins told the two. He gave them a card. "Tell me if you remember anything more." The last thing they heard was Tucker restarting his game.

"So there was a fluctuation in his calling habits?" Robbins said to his partner. "Not enough for an arrest, but it looks like we found ourselves a prime suspect."

"We better go talk to the girlfriend." Smith replied. "Maybe she can spread some light on their relationship." After the 5th period bell rang, in which they simply waited, somebody matching the girl description walked out of a classroom. Immediately, they walked up to her, showing their badges.

"My name is Paulina Martinez." She said. "Yes, me and Dash were in a relationship. What do you have to tell me?"

"I'm sorry, but your boyfriend was murdered last night." Smith said and she burst into tears, crying on the detective's shoulder. After she composed herself, she was ready to answer their questions.

"Is there anybody who had a grudge against your boyfriend?" Robbins asked.

"Well, there are some who don't like him, like Danny Fenton." Paulina replied. "Just because we pick on that loser a little bit…"

"Can you define a little bit?" asked Smith. Paulina hesitated slightly. "Yes, please tell us what exactly you mean by that."

"Okay, he broke his arm by accident a couple days ago." Paulina stated. "So what? He didn't do it on purpose and it serves the loser right for his girlfriend pulling Dash's pants down in PE and humiliating him?"

"So who watched him do this?" asked Smith, struggling to keep the anger out of his voice.

"The whole class." She replied. "They were cheering him on. Ms. Tetslaff didn't do anything, and I'm not sure she knew about it. I have a little sympathy for that loser, but don't tell my friends that. I don't want to lose my spot at the popular table."

"Don't worry, we won't say anything." Smith stated coldly. "Where were you last night?"

"I was at a party with my friends." the girl said. "At least 50 people saw me there. You can ask any of them."

"Thank you for your time." Robbins nodded. He wasn't quite as angry as his partner, but he still disliked Paulina. "We'll ask you if we need anything else.,

Smith and Robbins were wondering where to turn now. It seemed that Danny Fenton had a lot of motive but who could know exactly what was going on? Finally, they went to the principal's office in hopes of a few answers.

"We hope we're not intruding." said Smith, looking around the office. It was a standard office for a principal with a giant calendar that stated scheduled events. Ms. Ishiyama's desk was a little larger than most, but still not that different. It had a lamp, a laptop, and various papers having to deal with matters in Casper High.

"Don't worry about that." Ms. Ishiyama stated. She was around 55 years old and had dark, slanted eye. She was Japanese and had been principal for nearly 20 years. "So what can I help you with?"

"Did Mr. Baxter have anyone with a grudge, someone who truly hated him?" asked Smith. "We're the Amity Park police department and we would appreciate any help you could give us."

"Is this about vandalism?" she groaned. "I swear, if Danny Fenton tagged the buildings again… and to answer your question, Mr. Baxter always seemed very popular. "

"What do you mean, again?" asked Smith. "He's known as a troublemaker?" Anything can help in an investigation, so he felt it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"A couple days ago, he ended up spraying his name on the building around the corner." Ms. Ishiyama replied. "He tried to deny it, but we caught him red-handed. The empty paint can was in his backpack."

"Why didn't he throw it away?" asked Smith.

"He's not known for being too intelligent." Ms. Ishiyama told them. "He seems to like causing trouble to draw attention to himself."

"You still haven't answered our question." Robbins said with some exasperation. "Was there anyone with a grudge against him?"

"Well, Valerie Grey doesn't like him, but she's smitten with the Fenton boy and they don't get along." she said. "I swear, he brings it on himself, the idiot. Pardon me for speaking ill of my students, but I have to say it."

Suddenly, detective Smith's cell phone rang. He answered it and nodded and once he hung up, he turned to his partner. "They've found a witness who said he saw somebody walking away from the building at the time it was committed."

"Ms. Ishiyama, can we have some photos of your students?" asked Robbins. "It's part of our investigation."

"Sure, here you go." she replied, giving them photos of at least 40 people. "I wish you guys luck. Is there anything more I can do?"

"No, but thanks for what you did do." Smith replied. Once they left, he was fully in agreement with his partner. "Danny Fenton isn't well-liked around this school, apparently. I'll bet anything our murder victim was responsible for this. The school has to know about this. They can't be this stupid."

"That may be so, but we're investigating a murder, not the school." Robbins stated. "We've got a waterfall of motive, but as of yet, no concrete evidence. Let's hope our witness can help us with that."

* * *

"So can you describe him for us?" asked Robbins once they got back to the precinct.

"Yeah, of course I can." The man was one of the neighbors who had seen someone walking away from the house that night. He had brown hair, green eyes, was about 6'2 and weighed 220 pounds. His name happened to be Robert Bauer. "I was about 15 feet away from him and he kept staring at the house nervously. He had blue eyes and was around 5'5, 5'6, something like that. Didn't even seem to acknowledge me when I greeted him."

Smith showed him an array of pictures. He shook his head as he mentally went through them until he saw who he felt matched the description. "It's this one, I'm sure of it." he stated, pointing at one of the photos. As luck would have it, it was Danny Fenton.

"Are you completely sure?" asked Robbins.

"Completely." Bauer replied. "It was him I saw."

"Thanks for your help; you're free to go." Robbins said to the man, shaking his hand. He then turned to his partner. "So is this enough for an arrest?"

"Not quite, but certainly enough for a warrant." Smith replied, mentally counting what they had on his fingers. "An unsubstantiated alibi, a huge motive, and an eyewitness that puts him at the scene. It's time we have a little talk with the parents."

Yep, things are really looking bad for him. Hate to say it, but updates may be slower, since I have to start "Digital Phantom" and continue with "Mistakes". I apologize for any inconvenience. Please review.


	3. The arrest

Any particular reason this story isn't too well-liked? If I make any mistakes, I'm sorry, but I've never written this kind of a story before. Suppose it doesn't fit too well with Danny Phantom, but I'll continue it anyway.

"No judge is going to give me a search warrant." said Assistant District Attorney Michele Baker She was in her late 30's, had blond hair and green eyes and was about 5'5. She had been a prosecutor for 15 years and knew the routine. "Detective Robbins, you made a very big mistake in not informing him of his rights, which will bite us in the butt if we do get a search warrant."

"Look, I'm sorry, but Danny Fenton has been mentioned by 4 or 5 people." Robbins stated. "We've got a motive, an unsubstantiated alibi and an eyewitness that puts him at the scene."

"Despite our mistake, this should be enough." Smith added, wanting to investigate this case further.

"If you can find someone else who will be able to disprove Fenton's alibi, I'll be happy to get a search warrant. Until that time, however, you'll simply have to continue interviewing anyone who might know something."

The detectives reluctantly left, Robbins berating himself for his slip in procedure. It was something like 3 in the afternoon, so going back to Casper High was out of the question. Therefore, they returned to the precinct and thought about what they were going to do next.

"He's got to have other people he contacts besides Miss Manson and Mr. Foley." Smith said to himself. "We have to find others who aren't prejudiced against him."

"Well, we can always ask him again, but I don't think Mr. Fenton will be too cooperative." Robbins replied." His sister was glaring at us with pure hatred; it was sort of creepy. So where do we go now? I still say we should talk to his parents and see if we can get permission to look around."

"I wouldn't bet the case on it." Smith stated. "He's got to have other friends we can talk to. We just need to find them."

As if in answer, Paulina walked into the precinct. Tempting as it was to give her a piece of their minds, the detectives stayed silent until she approached them. "Look, I think I can help you out." she told them. "That loser Fenton dated Valerie Grey for a little while. She may be able to give you some help with your case." Saying that, she left as quickly as she had come after giving them a photo.

"Well, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth." Smith told his partner. "Let's go have a little chat with her."

"Yeah, me and Danny dated for a few days, but it just wasn't going to work out with us." Valerie Grey said to the detectives. She was 15, African-American, had black, curly hair and green eyes and was quite attractive. "What exactly is going on? Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, Miss Grey." Robbins replied. "Can you describe the relationship between him and Mr. Baxter."

"Well, Dash picked on him from day 1." Valerie stated, a little worried about the trouble Danny was in. "He picked on others, but Danny… well, he seemed to especially like him. It wasn't uncommon to see him come to school with bruises."

"Did Mr. Fenton ever retaliate, threaten him, things of that sort?" asked Smith. They needed to get that search warrant. "Did he attack Mr. Baxter?"

"No, it was never anything physical." Valerie replied. "At first, he used to play pranks for revenge, but now… it's like he's an empty shell. Dash beats him up every day after school and Danny just walks there and accepts his fate. It makes me wonder what that little shit stain said to him. I keep telling him to go to the teachers, or the police, but he never does anything! I'm watching him fall apart and nobody bothers to do anything!"

"What do you mean?" asked Robbins.

"The school knows about this, I'm sure." Valerie stated. "I've told them many times what Dash was doing and they say that without him telling anyone, there was nothing they could do, but he used to tell them. The school was informed and all they gave him was detention for two days after school. After that, Dash ended up breaking his arm. God, I hope somebody kills him one of these days!"

"Somebody has; that's why we're here." Robbins replied. "Out of curiosity, where were you last night?"

"I was at home with my dad; you can call him right now." Valerie stated in a worried tone, giving detective Robbins the cell phone.

"Do you have any idea where Mr. Fenton was last night?" asked Smith.

"You think he did this?" Valerie asked in confusion. "Danny can't do that to anyone, and he'd be too scared to do anything to Dash. Dash only needs to look at him and he flinches in fear."

"Can you please answer the question, miss Grey?" asked Robbins. He gave the cell phone to his partner, who dialed the number for the Grey residence.

"No, I wonder why he was answering my instant messages." Valerie said, eyes looking down on the pavement. "Around midnight, I sent messages to him, telling him he wouldn't have to put up with Dash any longer. I was going to call the police. Still, I didn't get anything back. After about half an hour, I finally gave up."

"What time would this be around?" Robbins wondered, needing to disprove Fenton's alibi.

"It was around 12, 12:30; I don't know the exact time. I do have one last thing to say: I know Danny didn't do this. I don't care what you say, but I know."

"Your father confirmed your alibi." Smith stated. "You're free to go. Thanks for your help."

"For the record, I still don't believe Danny's guilty." Valerie stated to the detectives and took off at a near run. Smith and Robbins looked at each other, knowing they now had enough. They immediately went to the courthouse, where Judge Hapburn signed the warrant. Now the only thing to do is head to the Fenton house and search for clues.

They got out of the car, and knocked on the door after putting on their gloves. Several seconds went by and still no answer. Robbins knocked again, a little more loudly this time. Finally, a woman answered the door. She looked to be around 17, 18 years old. She had brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a black shirt and blue jeans.

"Amity Park Police Department." Smith stated, he and his partner showing their badges. "We have a warrant to search the premises. Please let us inside the house."

The girl called for her parents, who were apparently busy in the basement. A tall, portly man and a woman who looked a lot like the girl ran to the door, wondering what this is about. Smith remembered that the Fentons were eccentric, but he had forgotten just how much so.

"So what is this all about?" asked Jack in his usual loud voice. "Have you come to hear me blather on about ghosts? Excellent! Now this is…"

"Mr. Fenton, we have a warrant to search the premises." Robbins said before Jack could go off on one of his infamous lectures. "It allows us to search anywhere in the house. Please let us in."

They walked inside the house, about a dozen people following. Smith gave the warrant to the Fentons to verify it and needless to say, they were a little shocked. Maddie looked furious, while Jack was a little confused. Jazz was wearing an almost unreadable expression.

"What is all this about?" asked Jack.

"Mr. Fenton, your son is a suspect in a homicide." Smith told him. "Can you please stand clear?"

"What?" Jazz exclaimed. "Danny would never do something like that!"

They reluctantly let the detectives and everyone involved began to search the house. First it was the living room, which they essentially tore apart. Smith and Robbins looked over every nook and cranny, but found nothing.

"Turn on the spectroscope." Smith ordered and an officer complied, turning the lights off so it would work. They found various fluids, but no blood. Robbins began looking under the couch cushions, wondering if there was something there.

"Lime and Vinegar chips?" Robbins exclaimed in disgust. "Who the hell eats those?"

"Did you just say lime and vinegar?" Jack exclaimed in excitement. "Maddie, do we have any of those chips left?"

"Mr. Fenton, I do not believe you comprehend the seriousness of this situation." Smith told the overly-excited ghost hunter. "As I said, your son is a suspect in a homicide. Please stay out of our way."

Finding nothing in the living room, they made their way to the dining room, again using the spectroscope. They searched for the murder weapon and the detectives noted that the butcher knife was missing from the collection. They opened the pantry and refrigerator doors, but again, their search yielded no results.

"Don't the Fentons have a lab?" asked Robbins. "We should check over there. Maybe Fenton hid the knife there, since it's known to be a mess."

Some of them went inside the lab and they were pretty amazed at some of the technological advancement. Beyond that, it was extremely messy so it would be the perfect place to hide a knife. Momentarily distracted by the allure of the ghost portal, the detectives stood still. After a couple of seconds, they tore themselves away from its gaze and started to search.

"Okay, notes on ghosts, blueprints for ghost weaponry." Robbins muttered as he searched through the drawers. "It's got to be here somewhere."

But those drawers didn't have any luck either. Smith, however, finally found the missing butcher knife buried under a pile of junk that probably hadn't been touched in months.

"Turn off the lights, please." He ordered and they turned on the spectroscope. There was no blood on the knife, but there was evidence of bleach. In addition, when they dusted for prints, they found none, which was definitely suspicious.

"Well, we just found our murder weapon." Smith stated the obvious. "Let's see what we can find in the suspect's bedroom."

They got out of the lab and walked upstairs to where the bedrooms were. They looked in the one to the left, but it didn't look like Danny's bedroom. Nonetheless, they decided to search it. After going through drawers, they found little but good report cards.

"Calculus: A, Anatomy: A, Chemistry: A, English: A, Government: A, Life skills: A." Smith muttered to himself. It was obvious they weren't going to find anything there so they proceeded to search the other rooms.

Finally, they got to Danny's bedroom. Robbins spotted a picture that basically had Phantom strangling Dash. In addition, they found rockets, papers printed from the internet about NASA, but neither was going to do them much good.

"This proves he thought about it before." Robbins stated. "It's more than enough to bring him in."

"Not just yet." Smith replied. "We still need to find more evidence." Nothing was revealed on the spectroscope, however. That is, until there was a trace of blood on the bed sheets, in addition to bandages and peroxide. The detectives nodded grimly to one another. After a through search in which no more incriminating evidence was found, they left his bedroom and proceeded to search the bathroom.

"If he washed off, there's likely to be some evidence in here." Smith told his partner, who already knew that. He opened the doors below the sink, where he found an empty container of Drano.

"Well, we probably won't find it in the pipes." Robbins stated. "We better look on the bathtub itself." They turned off the lights and used the spectroscope and it turned out that yes, there was blood near the drain.

"Okay, we've got more than enough." Smith said. "Now all we have to do is find young Mr. Fenton." They walked down to the living room, where the other Fentons were waiting anxiously.

"Mrs. Fenton, where is your son?" Robbins asked cautiously. "We have to know where he is?"

"You're not going to arrest him, are you?" Maddie asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid we have no choice." Smith replied honestly. "Everything seems to point to his guilt."

"You're wrong!" Jazz exclaimed. "Danny would never do something like that!"

"Yeah, and I'll pop you in the chops if you ever imply that again!" Jack agreed furiously, losing his normally happy demeanor. "I don't care if you're a detective or not!"

"Jack, calm down." Maddie reprimanded sternly. "It won't help if you two suddenly lose your tempers and attack them. We'll resolve this the legal way." She immediately went over to the telephone.

"So when will he be back?" asked Smith, a little coldly. "I'm sorry, but we have no choice. Your son has to be tried by a jury of his peers."

Suddenly, the door opened and Danny and Valerie walked inside the house. Both of them were shocked at the detectives being there. "What's going on?" Danny asked in confusion.

"I told you, he didn't do it!" Valerie exclaimed.

"Daniel Fenton, you are under arrest for the premeditated murder of Dash Baxter." Robbins stated, slapping the cuffs on him and reading him his rights. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you by the state. Do you understand these rights as I have read them?"

Danny nodded, too shocked to do anything. The detectives saw both Jack and Jazz glaring at them with murder in their eyes. Maddie was obviously talking to an old friend. "We need your help. Please come as soon as you can." He didn't see the area code, but it was from Wisconsin.

Valerie, however, was even more furious than the Fentons. She punched Smith twice in the gut and kicked him in the testicles. She took the key from him and attempted to free Danny, but Robbins tackled her before she could. "Valerie Grey, you are under arrest for assaulting a police officer and accessory after the fact." Robbins told the girl coldly, reading Valerie her rights.

"Stay quiet!" Maddie advised. "Don't say anything to them without a lawyer present! Vlad will help; I'm sure of it."

"We'll get you out of this, son, don't worry!" Jack stated. "You're innocent and nothing will change that!" Jazz hugged Danny tightly, wishing him luck. She kissed him on the forehead before he was dragged away.

Both of them were taken away in handcuffs toward the police cars, shoved in not-too-gently. Danny protested he was innocent, but the detectives were not listening to him. Tears soon took the place of his protests and he had a feeling that he would never see the light of day again.

Okay, that was definitely an emotional scene, if you'll forgive me for stating the obvious. I'm not too good when it comes to that, but things are really heating up now! Everything points to Danny's guilt. So what exactly will happen to him? You'll have to wait and see.


	4. The preparations

Okay, this is around the halfway point of the story. Not to mention you may be asking a few questions, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

After being arrested, Danny had to give his fingerprints to one of the officers. With every finger being printed, Danny was getting more and more nervous. Where were Sam and Tucker? Where was Jazz? After what seemed like an eternity, they fingerprinted him and sent him to an interrogation room where he looked nervously at the detectives. How exactly was he going to get out of this? It didn't seem likely he was going to see the light of day again.

"I'm curious, Danny: Why did you kill Mr. Baxter?" asked Robbins. "It does seem like you had other alternatives, but instead you chose to kill him."

"I didn't kill him." Danny replied. "I don't have the slightest idea as to what you're referring to."

"Danny, your fingerprints are being compared to the ones found at the crime scene." Smith added. "If there's anything you want to tell us, now would be the time. Help yourself. Tell us what we already know."

"I'm telling you, I didn't kill him." Danny stated. "Why won't you believe me?"

"I'm going to go talk to our witnesses, tell them we're doing a lineup in a couple minutes." Robbins told his partner.

"Got to admit, I didn't think she was willing to testify against him. Well, tell the prosecutor she's ready." Smith replied. Robbins nodded and walked out of the room.

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked. "Who's testifying against me?"

"Miss Grey told us everything, Danny." Smith said to him. "She tells us she saw you walking out of Mr. Baxter's room with bloody clothes. Look, you're facing life in prison and I have to tell you, it's not a pleasant place to be. Confess to the crime and we'll be lenient."

"She's got to be mistaken." Danny replied, believing she would never lie to incriminate him. "I did not kill him. How many times do I have to say it?"

Robbins walked back into the room. "We've got an 11 point match on the fingerprints." He said. "It looks like we've got our guy, if you add the two witness statements. You get anywhere with him yet?"

"Nope, he's still denying it." Smith replied as if Danny wasn't there. "It's pretty stupid of him. The D.A.'s trying him as an adult."

"Look, I keep telling you, I'm innocent." Danny told them timidly. It wouldn't do to piss them off after all.

Unfortunately, it seemed to have backfired. Smith suddenly started shouting at him. "I'm through putting up with you lying to my face!" he yelled furiously. "I know you're guilty and I am not going to endure your pitiful lies! Just confess, you worthless son of a bitch! Everyone here knows you did it!"

Danny fell off the chair, landing on his bad arm, and curled into a ball, like he was often forced to do when Dash administered the daily beatings. "You stabbed him, didn't you! You planned this, you made him helpless! You couldn't even kill him straight up! You're nothing, you're a weakling!" Robbins tried to calm him down, but it didn't work.

"All right, I did it!" Danny exclaimed, more afraid. "I killed Dash, all right? Just… leave me alone and don't h… leave me alone, please!" Smith immediately calmed down and they walked out, Danny relieved that they were gone.

He missed the two detectives complimenting each other.

"Let me see my son!" Jack exclaimed, trying to force his way past the officers.

"Your son already confessed to everything, Mr. Fenton." Smith told him. "I'm afraid you won't be seeing him for a long time."

"Danny is not a killer!" Jazz protested.

"I'm sorry for breaking the news to you, but Danny is guilty." Robbins added. "He told me and my partner himself that he killed Mr. Baxter."

Someone else suddenly walked in the room. He had brown hair, brown eyes, wore a suit and tie and it wouldn't take a genius to know he was a lawyer. "I'm Andrew Mullins and I've been hired to represent Danny Fenton." he told the Fentons. "Can we talk privately?"

He led the parents and Jazz into the interrogation, where Danny was being transported to a holding cell after giving his confession in writing. After they arrived, the man sat down next to Danny.

"I'm curious: who hired you?" asked Jazz.

"I thought you'd never ask, Jasmine." said a voice behind her. It was Vlad Masters in all his glory, wearing his typical suit and attire. "When I heard Danny had been accused of murder, I obtained for him the best lawyer money can buy. I assure you, Maddie, he's not going to prison as long as I'm here."

"True, but I'm afraid I don't see how we can get him off." Maddie replied. "Those detectives told us Danny confessed to the crime."

"Deceit is an effective tool, Maddie." Vlad replied. "How long has it been since Daniel was arrested?"

"A couple of hours." Maddie replied, not sure where this was going.

"How'd you get here so fast, Vladdie?" asked Jack.

"It's called an airplane, idiot." Vlad replied. "Mine happens to be specifically designed, but we're going off topic here. About 2 hours, you said? How long did it take for you to arrive?"

"About an hour." Jazz put in. "Dad kept getting lost." She then closed her mouth once she realized what she had said.

"No, it took you 20 minutes to get here." Vlad replied.

"No, it took us…" Jack began, but Vlad cut him off with the same answer.

"We may have a chance to exclude this 'confession'." said Mr. Mullins. "Danny, what happened when the detectives were questioning you?"

"They put me into a room and started telling me to confess." Danny told his companions. "I kept telling them I was innocent and they didn't listen. Then one of them starting shouting at me and telling me I was worthless. I panicked. It… reminds me of when Dash used to beat me up. I would have said anything in order to get it to stop."

"Well, that means we have at least a chance to exclude it." Mullins stated. "We'll be quite capable of arguing coercion. The detectives frightened my client and he would have said anything in order for it to stop. In his mind, he felt he was going to be beaten if he didn't tell them what they wanted to hear. And Vlad, arguing that the officers deliberately delayed him will not work. Minors do not have a right to have parents present during questioning, although it is sometimes recommended."

"But what if we can't exclude it and Danny goes to prison for something he didn't do?" asked Maddie.

"We'll worry about that when we come to it." Vlad replied. "We can always try the EED defense."

"I'm not sure that'll work." Mullins told him. "The prosecution will argue he had other options than to allegedly kill him. He's told me his side of the story and I believe him. I'll draft up motions to exclude it, and see how to refute any other evidence."

"There's apparently a considerable amount." Vlad replied, taking out a folder and dropping it on the table.

"How did you get this?" Jazz asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I have my ways, Jasmine. Besides, you don't want your brother going to prison, do you? Speaking of which, Maddie, why were neither of you present during questioning?"

"Jack and Jazz both got a little hysterical." Maddie replied. "The officers were forced to hold them back. It wasn't a very pleasant experience."

"Thanks for getting this for me, although I'm curious as to how you did so." Mullins declared, referring to Vlad. "Well, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."

While they continued talking, Vlad pulled Maddie away from the others, needing to talk to her privately. Ignoring his romantic feelings for the moment, he turned to her. "Maddie, how has Danny been acting the past few months?" asked Vlad. "I know there's something seriously wrong with him."

"It's like he's a completely different person." Maddie replied. "What has that boy done to Danny? He used to be happy, a goofball sometimes, but a nice boy. Over the past few months, all that has changed. He walked home from school with bruises and cuts. A couple weeks ago, his arm was broken. He never told either of us what was going on."

"You never thought to investigate, to see what was going on?" asked Vlad.

"I tried many times, but there was always a shiver of fear whenever I asked. A few days ago, Jack got mad at Danny and he was acting like he expected to be hit. He was almost crying." A flash of fury went through both their minds.

"So are there any other changes that you've noticed? Forgive me for prying, but I have to know."

"Yes, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz have become very protective of him. (Vlad's eyes turned towards Jazz, who had an arm around the nervous Danny) They were close, but not that close. I'm sure they know about all of this. Still, they're about as closed with it as Danny is."

"So essentially, because of this, he resembles an abused child. This means we'll have a psychologist testify for the defense, make the jury believe he could not possibly commit the crime, though doubtless Mullins has already thought of that. In addition, I propose we put Danny through therapy; it's obvious he needs it. While Jasmine is capable, he'll need more help than hers."

"I can't believe all of this was going on right under our noses. What kind of a mother am I?"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Maddie. What we have to do is find a way to resolve them. Remember, all we have to do is create some reasonable doubt. And I suggest that if bail is allowed, you keep Daniel away from school. Mr. Baxter has some clout, based on what I've heard, and it would likely be a very unpleasant experience."

"How do you know all this, Vlad?"

"Right now, that doesn't matter. I think we'd better rejoin their discussion and see how best to help young Daniel in this trial."

However, he was soon to have more visitors. Sam and Tucker had walked into the room, behind a woman in her early-40's who was undoubtedly another attorney. She had black hair, brown eyes, was about 5'5, Hispanic, and somewhat on the heavy side. "Mr. Fenton, I've been hired to represent you." she told him. "My name is Maria Gonzales."

"Two minds against one." Vlad stated. "I have already hired counsel for Daniel, but I will accept your assistance. Please sit down if you can find room."

They didn't manage to and opted to stand near Danny while they discussed strategy. "Vlad, I believe you said you know some private investigators?" he asked.

"Yes, I researched during my flight and found several that I believe will be useful for us. Daniel, do you know anyone Mr. Baxter hung around?"

"Well, there's Paulina, Kwan, and Star." Danny replied. "Those are the only ones who's name I know, though I wouldn't be surprised if there were others." After stating that, he fell silent again, Jazz giving him what comfort she could.

"By the way, we've been subpoenaed, so we've pretty much been forced to testify for the prosecution." Tucker explained, giving a silent apology to Danny.

"I don't care; I'm not going to testify against him." Sam exclaimed. She then turned to Vlad angrily and whispered in his ear. "I know you're behind this whole thing and if he's sent to prison, so help me, I will kill you!"

"For once I'm innocent, Samantha." Vlad replied. "However, we could turn this to our advantage, since all we have to do is convince one juror that there's a shred of doubt. What sort of jury members should we attempt to get on the panel, ones that would be sympathetic to Daniel and more likely to believe that there is reasonable doubt?"

"If I had to hazard a theory, I would say people that have been in his position." Mullins replied. "It worked for O.J. Simpson, so it's possible it could work for us."

"What do you mean, 'could work'?" asked Jack. "You mean there's no way to tell for sure if this defense will be effective?"

"There is a great deal of uncertainty in a trial." Maria explained. "You can never be sure which way a jury will go."

"Which means we have to prepare as much as possible." Mullins replied. "Speaking of which, the motion's ready. It's unlikely we will be able to exclude the evidence obtained at the house, but we have a decent shot at the confession."

"Yes, you've mentioned this before." Maddie replied, losing patience. Gonzales and Mullins left the holding cell to argue their case to the judge.

"What detectives Robbins and Smith had done is a known and common police tactic." Michele Baker argued to the judge. "There is no reason to exclude his confession."

"My client is a 15-year-old boy under a great deal of emotional stress." Mullins argued. "He would have said anything in order for it to stop. He was afraid of detectives Smith and Robbins; his memories wandered to the frequent bullying by the victim."

"Your honor, they did everything by the book." Baker replied. "Mr. Fenton was taken into custody, read his rights, was questioned, and confessed to murdering Dash Baxter. The fact that he is a minor should not be enough reason to disallow the confession based on an unproven theory."

"Your honor, detective Smith shouted at him, heaping emotional abuse onto my client." Gonzales added. "In his mind, he was back with his abuser and reacted the same way. Given my client's state of mind, "

"Again, there is no proof of Mr. Fenton's mental state and the defense is grasping at straws." Baker countered.

"We will have a psychologist examine him and confirm not only my client's state, but that he could not possibly commit the crime." Mullins retorted.

"That's enough from all of you." Judge Smith intervened before things accelerated further. He was a man in his 60's, with white hair, brown eyes, a beard, and was slightly overweight. "I will give you my motion tomorrow."

With that, they left, Baker pondering on the possibilities. Even without the confession, there was a strong case, but not a definite one. The fingerprint evidence was not as reliable as it could be, as a few other pairs were found inside. The defense could not argue robbery; the evidence was too clear for that. They had teachers and classmates that would testify that he had been to the house before, so he would know his way around and whoever committed the crime obviously did. The defendant had motive, means, and opportunity, having been bullied by the victim for years and had an alibi that not only could be confirmed, but disproved by a witness. However, the D.A' s case was only as strong as its weakest link. If the defense found any holes at all, the entire case could fall apart. She would do her best to strengthen the knots.

Don't go away; things are just heating up. The trial will be coming up next, and the drama increases as twists are found and the two sides battle it out deciding the fate of Danny Fenton. As for his guilt or innocence, you won't know that until the very end of the story.


	5. The trial

Okay, the long-awaited chapter of "Murder in Amity". I'm having problems with my internet connection, so I haven't been able to update. To any fans of "Mistakes", it might be a little while before an update because I'm not exactly sure what to put next. Any suggestions?

Okay, this covers the first part of the trial. I'm adding a few testimonies, mainly the prosecution. Hopefully, I can make it look at least somewhat like an actual trial. I watch Law and Order quite a bit, which is more realistic than most shows. Anyway, I better start writing before I monologue. Note: see if you can find a movie reference.

Danny almost shivered with fear as he was lead to the courtroom. If he was convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison. Still, there was a large part of him that believed his worthless self deserved it. Over the past couple of months, Dash had destroyed both his body and his self-esteem. Why did anyone care about him at this point?

"Docket number 99832: State of California V. Daniel James Fenton." Stated the Bailiff. "The charges are murder in the first degree, breaking and entering." Danny was immediately intimidated by the large man and involuntarily went back as far as the chair would allow him.

"How does the defendant plead?" asked Judge Massey. He was a man in his 60's with green eyes, brown hair, and the usual judge attire. He was around 5'8 and was slightly portly.

"Not guilty, your honor." Stated Mullins

"Thoughts on bail?" inquired the Judge.

"The people request remand." Baker stated. "The defendant is accused of a felony and has many connections, courtesy of Vlad Masters. We consider him a flight risk."

"Your honor, my client has strong connections to the community and is anxious to have his name cleared." Replied Gonzales

"He has connections to his family, who would likely be eager to assist his son is eluding the law." Stated Baker. "The defendant is accused of brutally slaughtering one of his classmates while he was intoxicated. He has a history of vandalism, and brutality, as the people's witnesses will prove."

"Your honor, the defendant is innocent until proven guilty." Mullins declared.

"Bail is set at 2 million, cash or bond." said Judge Massey. "Next case." He banged the gavel and Danny was escorted to a holding cell.

"Don't worry, I'll easily be able to take care of that." Vlad assuaged the Fentons. "As long as I exist, your son will not spend time in a prison of any kind." It wasn't really an act this time around. He did feel sympathy for young Daniel. Someone his age would not live for long in prison.

"I can't believe this is happening." Jack declared. "Danny would never kill anyone!"

"This'll all be settled soon enough." Maddie replied. "We'll be able to prove that our little Danny is innocent."

"Jeez, I didn't think something like this would happen." Tucker told them. "I'm sorry I have to testify for them, but they didn't really leave me a choice."

"You should have refused, Tucker, even if they did jail you in contempt." Sam growled. "Danny is our best friend, and I swear to god, if you go on that stand…"

"Hey, not everyone's rich like you." Tucker protested in his defense. "If I'm fined, my parents will kill me. Going to jail is even worse."

"Calm down, Samantha." Vlad told her before she could say anything else. "It will be of little consequence. My lawyer and I have devised a suitable cross-examination that will effectively destroy any credibility he has and perhaps can even work to our advantage. Isn't that wonderful, Jasmine?"

"Yeah, sure." Jazz replied with a worried frown. "Trust me, I don't know what I'm going to do if my little brother is convicted."

"Let's worry about that only if we need to." Maddie told everyone, but she too was worried. "Let's not worry Danny even more." They went to the holding cell, while Vlad turned around and decided to pay the court to get him out.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but thank you, Vlad." Danny stated once they arrived at Fentonworks.. "I don't want to spend any of my time in a cell."

"Don't thank me just yet, little badger." Vlad replied. "We have a long and tiring road to go before we get an acquittal. I've checked Baker out and she's quite a skilled prosecutor. I don't believe we'll be able to count on any mistakes to further our case." He suddenly took his leave and walked out of the house. They saw him talking to a man, though it was unknown who the man was.

"You know, Vlad could be setting this whole thing up." Sam suggested. "Once you get off, he'll use your gratitude to turn you into his son."

"Vlad would never do something like that!" Jack declared. Sam winced, forgetting the Fentons were here. "He's our best friend and would never stab us in the back."

"You're welcome to your opinion, Mr. Fenton, but we know Vlad much better than you do." Tucker told him. "Danny, about testifying against you, I just have to say…"

"You don't need to apologize, Tucker." Danny intervened quietly. "I can understand why you don't want to get into any trouble."

"Still, though, how can you simply let him do this without saying anything?" Jazz asked him, glaring at Tucker. "He's supposed to be supporting you, not turning against you!"

"Fighting among ourselves won't do any good." said Jack. "We'd better get ready for our day in court tomorrow."

"I believe it starts at 9:00 tomorrow." Maddie stated. "Hopefully, we'll be able to discredit their witnesses and prove Danny innocent."

"One can only hope, Maddie." Vlad said with a smirk. "I have every confidence that Daniel will be free in a matter of time."

"State your name and occupation for the court, please." Baker told her witness, detective Robbins.

"My name is Lieutenant William Robbins and I am an Amity Park police detective." Robbins replied.

"About what time did you arrive at the Baxter home?" asked Baker.

"I would have to say approximately 9:00 AM. The maid had called, saying that the victim was found murdered. Upon closer investigation, we learned he was killed by a knife wound to the chest, in addition to others."

"And what did you conclude?"

"Whoever murdered Mr. Baxter obviously despised the young man. It was clearly done with great rage and anger."

"And you were able to rule out a burglary gone wrong?" Baker wanted to make sure there was no room to use that excuse for reasonable doubt. "You checked out the possibility thoroughly?"

"We did. Mr. Baxter's body was in his bedroom, so he could not simply have walked in on a burglar. In addition, there was nothing stolen, as his parents can attest to."

"What made you come to believe the defendant was the culprit?"

"When we went to the school, there were many that told us that the two hated one another. We received conflicting reports upon who was at fault, but it all came to the same conclusion."

"That isn't enough for an arrest. What else did you find?"

"Myself and Detective Smith looked through the complaint reports about Mr. Baxter. Many complained about various wrongdoings, mainly bullying, but the defendant's name came up more times than anyone else. You'd have to ask my partner to get the exact amount, but I believe it was around 20."

"Did you talk to the defendant?"

"Yes, we interviewed him when he was moving between classes. He admitted that he and the victim never got along. They were study partners, so the defendant had been in his house before."

"What was his alibi?"

"He claimed he was up late around 1:00, 1:30 doing his history homework. He claims that the rest of his family was asleep, so the alibi was unsubstantiated."

"What did you find after you obtained the search warrant?"

"We found the murder weapon in the Fenton's lab. There was no blood, but evidence of bleach and no fingerprints on it."

"Thank you. No further questions."

After Baker was done, Mullins stood up and began his cross-examination. Looking Robbins in the eye, he asked: "What was the alleged murder weapon?"

"A butcher knife." Robbins replied.

"A common butcher knife as the murder weapon. So it's possible that almost anyone could have murdered Mr. Baxter?"

"The knife was found under a pile of papers, which was obvious evidence of concealment."

"But nonetheless, can point to a different direction than my client? After all, he's not the only one who has access to the lab, is he? His family members, his friends."

"I suppose that could be true."

"So several people have access to that lab?"

"It's possible."

"And any one of them could have killed Mr. Baxter? Other people with a motive besides my client?"

"I suppose, but their alibis have…"

"While you were searching through the complaints about Mr. Baxter, did the names Tucker Foley, Samantha Manson, or Valerie Grey pop up?"

"Yes, several times, but like I said…"

"Then isn't it possible that one of people I just mentioned could have committed the crime? Is this or is this not true, Mr. Robbins?"

"It's improbable, since their alibis…"

"It is true or not?"

"Yes, it could be true."

"Thank you. No further questions." Mr. Mullins sat down.

Detective Smith then took the stand, and it was essentially the same examination as with his partner, although he mentioned there were exactly 19 complaints about the victim bullying Danny. Afterwards, they took a recess, and court would be continued at 3:00 PM.

"I think it went well, Danny." Maddie declared. "Mr. Mullins and Ms. Gonzales did a good job discrediting the detectives."

"We haven't won quite yet, Maddie." Vlad stated. "The trial is only beginning. We've got a long way to go."

"Even so, those two were some of the prosecution's main witnesses." Sam told them. "We'll be able to win this case if we play our cards right."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Samantha." Vlad smirked. "From what I saw, the next witness is someone from forensics. I've given Mr. Mullins and Ms. Gonzales some information that should prove quite suitable."

"Hey, let's go to the nasty burger to celebrate!" Jack exclaimed.

"Jack, please be serious." Maddie chastised. "Danny is the defendant in a murder trial and all you can think about is food?"

"Hey, I haven't had anything all day!" Jack protested. "Besides, it may help Danny get his mind off a possible prison term."

"Yeah, way to make him feel better." Sam said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I see you're real good in the comforting department."

"Only if Danny wants to." Jazz said. "Otherwise, we'll simply sit in the courtroom."

"I don't have a problem." Danny told them.

Maddie reluctantly started the RV (Both Maddie and Vlad objected to Jack driving) and they headed to the nasty burger. She felt it was a bad idea to do this while Danny was in such a state, which meant she would be keeping a close eye on him. They took a large booth, since they had a party of 7.

Tucker ordered a double hamburger and Sprite, Sam took a salad and Pepsi, Jack ordered 2 double hamburgers and a Pepsi, Maddie simply got herself a Dr. Pepper, Vlad declined to eat, Jazz ordered a hamburger and fries. Danny ordered a side of fries, but they could tell his attention was elsewhere. When they got their order, Jack and Tucker ate greedily, but Jazz, Sam, and Maddie stared at Danny. Vlad shared a similar look of concern.

"Danny, you've barely touched your food." Sam stated. "You've got to eat something."

"Starving yourself isn't going to help matters." Maddie added. Jazz merely took his hand in her own and stroked it comfortingly. Vlad was merely studying him closely.

"I know you must be concerned, little badger." Vlad told him. "But I know this, Daniel: you are no murderer. In time, the others will come to see it as well. Unfortunately, as the Baxters are a prominent family, they are under a great deal of pressure to catch the culprit, even an innocent one. You seem a logical suspect, as you were a frequent target, but anyone who spends ten minutes with you would know that you are a kind young man; certainly not a killer."

"I'm beginning to think you're the on behind this." Sam whispered harshly to Vlad. "You'll get him convicted, then break him free and train him to be your apprentice. You're not going to get away with it, Vlad. If he goes to prison, I will make sure you pay for this."

"Samantha, what makes you think I would do such a devious thing?" Vlad smiled innocently, making sure Danny couldn't hear. "Prison would do unspeakable things to him, and I do not want a broken teenager. I want him to maximize his potential, to become what he was made to be. Really, what do I possibly have to gain from all this?" That was true, but not the whole truth.

"Danny, we'll get you out of this." Tucker tried to reassure him. "Your lawyers were able to confuse the detectives and point the finger elsewhere. Come on, what are your chances of being convicted?"

"At the moment, it could go either way." Vlad stated.

"Hey, he's the murderer!" said a little boy, no more than 5 or 6. He wore a green shirt, blue jeans and pointed at Danny, who was lying on the table, burying his head on his good arm. "You're a murderer!"

"Get out of here, you bastard!" Jazz snarled furiously. "Danny is not guilty!"

"My daddy said he was going to be raped and killed in prison, that they would use him as a toy." he said. "It's what he deserves. My brother says so." Jazz looked about ready to pounce on him, Sam not far behind. Jack and Tucker were glaring at him, while holding the girls back. Maddie looked angry, but managed to contain herself. Vlad merely rolled his eyes, but knew Daniel would be affected.

"Hey, Peter, I was wondering where you were." said another, quite obviously his brother. He looked around 17 years old with brown hair and eyes, in addition to a moustache. "Oh, it's you. Dash Baxter was my friend and a one of the best people you could meet. You will pay for this, Fenton. You're going to prison, where you'll learn a new meaning of hell. I hope you get exactly what you deserve, you worthless fuck."

"I suggest you and your brother leave, or I will make things very unpleasant for you." Vlad told the young man, his lip curling. He glared at Danny and then left, taking his little brother with him. "Let's leave before this gets any worse." They nodded in agreement and went back to Fentonworks.

A couple of seconds after they opened the door, Danny broke down in tears. This was simply too much to handle. "He's right; I'm going to prison." He said between sobs. "I am worthless; I'm pathetic. I couldn't defend myself from Dash and I can't do it now. I'm going to die behind bars."

He collapsed on the arm of the couch, tears still going down his face. Jazz ran up to him and put her arms around his neck, rubbing his back comfortingly. Danny buried his head into his sister's shoulder as she whispered soothing words into his ear. She hoisted Danny onto her lap and rocked him gently, running her hand through his hair. Sam and Tucker were beside him as well, his parents watching as their son broke down.

"I must admit, Maddie, I'm amazed at how close Daniel and Jasmine are." Vlad told her. "There are fools who would consider this incestuous, but I'm very pleased that Daniel has friends like them."

"Yes, they've gotten very close." Maddie agreed. "It's killing me, watching him break like this, knowing there's nothing I can do. I've failed as a mother."

"No, you haven't." Vlad replied comfortingly. "Daniel is a teenager, taught from a young age at school to handle everything himself. Considering the abuse he has taken from Mr. Baxter, it is of no surprise that he has suffered a breakdown. It has nothing to do with being a failure."

"V-Man's right." Jack declared. "We're going to prove Danny innocent, and sue the pants off the District Attorney. I'll get Danny free if I have to tear apart the prosecutor apart molecule by molecule!" Inwardly, though, he knew the evidence against Danny was compelling, but he refused to consider his son a murderer. There was one thing he could do to acquit him, but that was only in an emergency.

"I don't think that will be necessary, old friend." Vlad smirked. "We'll have to wait to see how it plays out. It's much too early to the trial to accurately predict an outcome."

Maddie looked at the 4 hugging on the couch. Danny had stopped crying an simply relaxed in their embrace. She didn't know what they could do to help, but she knew that as long as they had breath in their bodies, his friends would not give up, and neither could they.

Certainly dramatic, wouldn't you agree? But it's only begun. Next we'll see more witnesses of the prosecution, in addition to the defense. Is this one of Vlad's scheme's or is he trying to help Danny? Is Danny guilty or is it someone else? There are three more chapters to go, and the suspense is only going to increase.


	6. The Trial: part 2

I have to admit, this is a fairly difficult story to write. I've finally thought of a few more witnesses and this is where you begin to hear from the defense as well. I'm sorry, but it seems like it won't allow me to separate the events, although I've tried many times. It's apparently an annoyance you'll have to live with. And this is the story I plan to concentrate on the most.

Michele Baker paced in her office. She had to admit, she was a little worried about the case. It was strong, but the boy had skilled counsel and it would not be easy to convince the jury he was guilty. Still, she had full confidence that she would be able to do so.

She looked over the next witness. The medical examiner was due to testify, as to various people at Casper High who could testify to Fenton's hatred of the victim, proving motive. Not to mention the witness that saw Fenton run out of the apartment. Yes, this was likely a case she was going to win.

"Well, if it isn't Assistant District Attorney Michele Baker." declared a voice behind her. Startled, she spun around, only to have her eyes widen at the visitor. It was a ghost-experience in Amity taught her that much- but she had never seen him before. He had red eyes, had a black triangle on his chest and was dressed in white. His hair was shaped like horns and he had black boots. He grinned, showing off white fangs.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, trying to hide her fear.

"My dear, I'm simply here to offer you a warning." the ghost replied. "It has come to my attention that you are currently prosecuting a boy named Daniel Fenton for murder. Mark my words, and mark them well. If he is convicted, I will see to it that your existence ends."

"Not a good idea to make threats, ghost." Baker snarled, though inwardly she was terrified. "Our defenses are more than able to destroy you."

"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that. Just remember my warning." With that, he disappeared in a green flash of light. Baker knew immediately what she had to do. Calling the Fentons was out of the question, but there were other contacts that she could reach.

"Please state your name and occupation for the court, please." Baker asked her next witness.

"Paulina Martinez and I am a student at Casper High." she replied in her usual voice. She wore her usual outfit, and saw Sam flip her off out of the corner of her eye. Thankfully, for once she used some self-control.

"Can you describe the relationship between Mr. Baxter and the defendant?" asked Baker.

"They hated each other from the moment they met." Paulina declared. "Dash was a cool, hot football player and Fenton was a geeky loser. He soon became the primary target for him."

"How long did such an antagonistic relationship last?"

"It never stopped until he was murdered by the defendant."

"Objection, speculation." Gonzales protested, standing up.

"Sustained. Control your witness, Miss Baker." the judge instructed her.

"Can you be more specific, please? What kind of acts did they commit to each other?"

"Well, one of them I remember clearly was Dash forcing Fenton to eat his underwear. He was sick for around a week after that. He also shoved Fenton into lockers, and recently he started beating him up almost on a daily routine."

"Did the defendant ever retaliate? If he did, in what fashion did he do so?"

"The first thing he did was throw a mud pie in Dash's face, back in freshman year. I think he also decorated his locker with toilet paper. Over time, it got worse, Fenton sometimes going to an extreme such as bashing objects over his head."

"Did you ever see the defendant participate in such actions?"

"I only saw it once. Dash was giving Fenton a wedgie and that loser smashed a lock on his head. There were plenty of other incidents that happened right after they fought, but I never actually saw him do any such thing."

"Did the defendant to anything else to intentionally harm the victim?"

"I overheard Fenton saying a couple weeks before he was murdered: 'I'm going to kill that little shit'."

"Thank you. No further questions."

"Miss Martinez, was my client the only victim of Mr. Baxter's bullying?" asked Mullins.

"No, but he was the most picked on." Paulina replied. "Fenton was also the one who always tried to get him back."

"How many people did the victim bully besides my client?"

"I don't know. I suppose a lot of the geeks. He always won the competitions."

"Defense exhibit A." Mullins declared, standing up and walking to Paulina. "There are precisely 154 complaints regarding Mr. Baxter's behavior over the past 6 months. Involved in such complaints are 23 individuals, all of which had motive to commit this crime. But you're not exactly a trustworthy witness, are you, miss Martinez?"

"Of course I am. I'm not stupid enough to lie under oath."

"Defense exhibit B, your honor. I have in my hand 17 people who claim that you have routinely lied and cheated your way out of trouble, 2 of whom are your teachers."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Would you please read the highlighted passage, Miss Martinez?"

Paulina sighed, but did as she was told. "'Paulina Martinez had claimed that Danny Fenton vandalized the school walls and instigated a fight between Dash Baxter and himself. However, I highly suspect that Miss Martinez is lying, considering her hatred and contempt of Mr. Fenton.'"

"Considering what you have just told us, why should we believe anything that you have testified to?" Paulina was speechless. "No more questions."

"Witness may step down." the judge instructed. Paulina did so, severely shaken. "Do the people have any other witnesses?"

"We are calling the medical examiner to testify." Baker replied. The man did so and got up onto the stand. "State your name and occupation for the court please."

"My name is Michael Griffith and I have been a medical examiner for 9 years this past February." He was in full nerd gear, glasses and all. He was around 6 feet tall and considerably overweight with red hair, brown eyes and a small beard.

"What did you observe on the victim's body?" asked Baker.

"The victim was stabbed 5 times, obviously with a great deal of force." Griffith replied. "I would have to say that whoever killed Mr. Baxter despised him."

"Objection." Gonzales declared. "Witness does not have the qualifications to make that assumption."

"Sustained." the judge agreed. "Keep your witness under control, Ms. Baker."

"Where on the body was the victim stabbed?"

"He was stabbed 5 times in the chest, one of them bypassing the ribcage and killing Mr. Baxter. As it was the deepest, it is most likely the first wound. The other 4 were scattered around his chest, 2 of them piercing his lungs and another cracking one of the left ribs."

"Mr. Baxter is considerably stronger than the defendant. How could he have killed him?"

"The victim had a blood alcohol level of .12 and had snorted a great deal of cocaine. He was as helpless as a newborn kitten. He would be unable to defend himself against even someone who was disabled."

"What time did he die?"

"Between 11:00 and 2 in the morning on the night in question."

"And you're absolutely sure that he could do nothing to fight back?"

"I have no doubt of it. It'd be a miracle if he could even see straight."

"Thank you. No further questions."

Gonzales stood up and began her cross-examination of the witness. "So you essentially that he couldn't fight back against anyone?"

"Yes, that is what I have stated." Michael told the defense attorney.

"So is it possible that another victim of Mr. Baxter's bullying could have committed the crime?"

"It's unlikely, given the…"

"Is it possible?"

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"And given that my client has a broken arm, little coordination and no knowledge of the human body, how could he have pierced Mr. Baxter's heart on a single try?"

"It could very well have been pure chance. I've seen several cases where the victim was killed by someone with no anatomy knowledge."

"But you will admit that it is unlikely?"

"Yes."

"My client also has a broken arm. How could he possibly have sent the knife into his heart with the amount of force described?"

"Adrenaline can produce that effect, obviously making him much stronger than normal."

"Or maybe it was someone with greater physical capabilities than my client. Say, his father?"

"No evidence was found leading to…"

"Does he have the strength necessary to inflict the wounds you described on Mr. Baxter?"

"Yes, I would have to say he does."

"Thank you. No further questions."

"The people request a continuance, your honor." Baker stated. "There are additional witness we wish to call."

"Granted." the judge stated immediately. "Court will reconvene at 2:00 PM Thursday. They were dismissed and began walking out of the courtroom.

"So do you think we'll be able to convict him?" asked Robbins, as he and his partner walked into the courtroom. They had to testify in another case, involved with a DUI.

"The evidence is strong, but he's got good lawyers." Smith replied. "Still, considering the amount of evidence we have and the skill of our ADA, we'll nail him. He's going to spend the next 25 years in prison."

"Can't help but feel a little sorry for him." Smith stated. "But he chose to resort to murder and he has to pay the consequences. Just hope that school will learn something from this."

"This case has dragged on for nearly two weeks." Vlad said, stating the obvious. "I have a private detective who has given me some information regarding the presiding judge. Needless to say, he is biased."

"How is that going to help us?" asked Maddie. "Things aren't looking good for Danny."

"I can't let my son go to prison!" Jack exclaimed. "I'll confess to save him if I have to."

"Jack, you won't need to do something like it!" Maddie declared in an appalled tone.

Vlad pondered on what to say. He would be more than happy to have Jack rot in prison, and the fact it would save Daniel was an added bonus. However, it would jeopardize any possible relationship with Maddie. Finally, he said. "I'm sure that won't be necessary, old friend. However, I may have to point the finger at you and the others in order to create reasonable doubt. In truth, the thought of Daniel rotting in prison makes me sick."

"Do whatever you have to do, V-man." Jack said. "Me and Maddie are totally behind you." There was a knock on the door. Vlad smirked as he answered it. Valerie immediately barged inside.

"Where's Danny?" she demanded. "I want to talk to him. Thanks for posting my bail, Mr. Masters."

"Anything to help out an old friend." Vlad replied. "Daniel needs comfort from you desperately…and maybe something more. I believe he's in his room." She immediately ran up, not noticing that Vlad followed. He put his ear to the door, but couldn't use his ghost powers since Danny would likely figure it out.

"I've got to tell them!" insisted a voice. He couldn't tell who it was, though, or even what gender.

"Don't worry, I'll get out of this." That obviously belonged to Daniel. Vlad was relieved that Danny was not the culprit, though he was curious to know who was. "Mom and Dad will be able to get me out of this."

"Just face facts, Danny! If you don't do something, if I don't, you're going to be in big trouble." Was that a male voice? Vlad couldn't be sure.

"You're worth more than me. It doesn't matter if I go to prison; it'd be what I deserved. Please don't say anything." Vlad left after that, shocked by realization. Daniel was not the one who did, but that begged the question: who was?

Okay, just two chapters remaining. Hopefully, I can get this done in a week or two, since I plan of spending most of my writing time on this story. However, it's going to depend on how much of my senior project I can get done. I'm anxious to finish this story so I can spend more time on the others. Review, please!


	7. The Trial: Part 3

Okay, let me just say that I never expected that many reviews in that short a time. Thank you! I think that's a new record and that includes "Danny in Jump City". My plans are to finish this story, then "Mistakes" and rising stakes. I won't be updating those for a while, especially my crossover with Harry Potter. I'm not entirely sure what to do next. Anyway, now we reach the endgame. You now know Danny is innocent, but who actually killed Dash? I can't give too much away, so you'll have to wait and find out. Also, I'm not giving minor characters any names now; too much hassle for me.

Note: There's really no point in hating the detectives. They're just doing their jobs, after all. And you have to admit, the evidence against Danny is pretty compelling.

Valerie was sitting in a holding cell, looking at the prosecutor with contempt. She had been sentenced to a year in a juvenile facility. While she knew it would be far from fun, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She had no real chance of being acquitted with two police officers testifying against her. Her lawyer was trying to get a more lenient sentence, but it didn't seem likely.

"We're here to make a deal with you, Miss Grey." The prosecutor was black, like she was and had brown eyes and black hair. He stood at around 5'7 and looked to be in his 30's. "I suggest you listen to us."

"I don't care what the hell you have to say." Valerie replied. She didn't know his name, nor did she really care to know.

"Valerie, listen to him." her lawyer advised. She was an older woman with white hair and brown eyes. She had been appointed by the court to defend her, though it didn't do much good. "He's willing to cut you a deal."

The prosecutor put a file in front of him, looking through it. "You've got quite the criminal record, Miss Grey." he stated. "Two assault charges, property damage, trespassing, breaking and entering, all of which occurred when you were 13."

"I had a difficult time back then." Valerie replied. "I don't see why it matters now."

"Okay, down to business." said the prosecutor. He pushed the file aside. "I've talked to the D.A and he is willing to wipe your record clean, give you a fresh start without a sheet haunting you. All we're asking for in return is your assistance in bringing a murderer to justice. You carry crucial testimony as to his motive."

"Valerie, I suggest you take the deal." said her lawyer. "In 25 years, I've rarely heard a better one."

"Got to admit, the offer sounds tempting." Valerie declared. "But you can take that deal and shove it up your ass. I'm not turning against Danny."

"Valerie, this is a mistake." her lawyer replied. "Think about what he is offering."

"You have a choice, Miss Grey." the prosecutor told her. "You can testify against him and have your record wiped, or you can stay loyal to him and spend the next year in the hall. I leave it to you. You have one day to decide." He picked up his briefcase, folder, and left.

"You should take the deal." her lawyer insisted. "Think of what it will mean for you."

Valerie had to admit, it was extremely tempting. She could put her mistakes behind her. But try as she might, she just couldn't do that to Danny. She had feelings for him even now, and perhaps that was blinding her judgment.

They were finally in court once more and the prosecution was calling its final two witness: a DNA examiner to speak of the evidence and the witness who claimed that Danny had walked out of the victim's house. The judge had been forced to recuse himself because of evidence of bias the defense presented. After nearly a week, the court was finally in session, the Guys in White stationed near Baker as always.

"Miss Coleman, does the DNA found in the victim's apartment match my clients?" asked Baker.

"It was a perfect match." she replied. She was a woman in her 40's, overweight with green eyes and blond hair. "I took DNA from the crime scene and matched it to the samples the detectives took when Mr. Fenton was arrested. There isn't the slightest bit of deviation."

"Was there any other DNA?" Baker asked.

"The victims and some other strands, but the defendant's were the most recent and closest to the body."

"Thank you. No further questions."

"So you say that the freshest DNA belongs to my client, correct?" asked Mr. Mullins, standing up.

"Yes, that's exactly what I just said." replied Miss Coleman.

"However, isn't it possible that the actual killer did not leave any DNA at the scene?" asked Mullins.

"Yes, I suppose it is possible."

"So you're saying that Mr. Baxter could have been killed by someone who knew how to leave no evidence behind?"

"It might happen."

"And the reason my client's DNA is inside the victim's room is because he often worked with him on class assignments. Isn't that possible?"

"It could be."

"Thank you. No further questions."

The witness neighbor was called, but it didn't take much effort to refute him. Next up was Tucker Foley, who the defense was very worried about. Vlad wore a smirk on his face, though.

"State your name and occupation for the court, please." Baker requested.

"Tucker Foley, student at Casper High and techno geek king." Tucker replied, giving Danny an apologetic look.

"Can you describe the relationship between the defendant and Mr. Baxter?" Baker asked.

"They've hated each other since they met in middle school. Once we got to high school, though, Dash started bullying Danny on a daily basis."

"Was he Mr. Baxter's sole target?"

"No, but Danny was the one who got picked on the most. Over the year, it just got worse and worse."

"Did the defendant ever try to retaliate?"

"Yes, he pulled all sorts of pranks on him. They were funny and I was glad to see him get what he deserved. Over time, though, the bullying got worse and so did their relationship."

"Do you know of any other incidents in which the defendant attempted to get revenge?"

As Dash grew more violent, so did Danny. He threw pencils at him, continued with the pranks and all of a sudden, it just stopped. After that, Danny just surrendered and let Dash do what he wanted."

"Did the defendant ever threaten Mr. Baxter?"

"There were several times where I heard him threatening to kill Dash, but you hear those threats all the time at school, and I didn't think much of it. Makes me wonder if he was serious."

"Objection, speculation." Gonzales protested.

"Sustained." stated the new judge. She was a woman in her 60's, but had a strong demeanor. "Control your witness, Miss Baker."

"Can you describe the changes in the defendant?"

"He started getting very quiet, and didn't seem to care about anything. Danny glared at Dash with pure hatred, but never did anything to stop him. Me, Sam, Valerie, and Jazz always told him to tell the police, but he simply ignored us."

"Did you ever suggest that he could transfer to another school?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton suggested it a couple of times, though they didn't know exactly what was going on. He wanted to stay in Casper High, though."

"People's exhibit 11, your honor. Do you recognize this drawing, Mr. Foley?" It was a drawing of Dash lying on the ground, covered in blood."

"Yes, I'm afraid I do. Danny drew that a couple of weeks before Dash was killed."

"Do you believe the defendant is capable of murder?"

"I didn't think so before. But now… I just don't know anymore."

"Objection, speculation." Gonzales protested again.

"The witness is the best friend of the defendant and can provide us insight as to his state of mind."

"Overruled." the judge declared.

"Thank you. No further questions."

"But my client isn't the only one who had a motive, is he?" asked Mullins, standing up.

"No, there were a lot of people." Tucker replied.

"As a matter of fact, you have a motive as well." Mullins persisted. "So isn't it possible that you killed Mr. Baxter and not my client?"

"No, I was home all night, like I told the police!"

"So you say, so you say. But parents can lie for their children and your hatred for the victim runs as deep as my client's."

"Well, I didn't like him much either. He always shoved me in my locker and broke my PDA several times."

"We heard a witness describe someone walking out of the victim's house. Couldn't that easily have been you?"

"No, I was at home playing video games!"

"Witnesses are unreliable, as we well know. Since you and my client have a similar body type, isn't it possible that he was describing you?"

"How could that be possible? The murder weapon was found in the Fenton's basement!"

"Defense exhibit 8, your honor. Can you please read the highlighted passage, Mr. Foley?"

" 'The only non-Fenton family members who are allowed in the lab are Tucker Foley, Samantha Manson, and the Greys.' Wait, what are you implying?"

"You've got a motive, have access to the Fenton's basement, and a questionable alibi. Why shouldn't we believe that you killed Mr. Baxter and not my client?"

By this time, Tucker was furious with the accusations. "I have an alibi! I'm not the one who made threats! I'm not the one who drew a picture of Dash lying dead!"

"You sound rather defensive, Mr. Foley. Could it be that you have something to hide? How much do you know about forensics, by any chance?"

"I know a little, but I'm not exactly an expert. Why?"

"So it's possible that you could have killed Mr. Baxter without leaving forensics behind, am I right?"

"No, I didn't like him, but I am not a murderer."

"That remains to be seen. No further questions."

"I never thought Tucker would actually believe Danny could do something like that." Sam stated sadly.

"On the contrary, that went exactly how I wanted it to." Vlad smirked. "Mr. Foley has a motive and similar body type to Daniel. All we need to do is convince the jury there is some reasonable doubt."

"I never knew that Danny did things like that." Jazz stated. "Things are not looking good for him."

"I can clear him, Mr. Fenton." Sam told the parents. "Just let me testify and I'll get him off the hook."

"I'm not sure how much good it will do." Jack sighed. "The prosecutor will just say you're lying to protect him."

"Please, I can prove he's innocent!" Sam insisted.

"We'll take it under consideration, Samantha." Vlad smirked. "Whatever you say will more than likely be unconfirmed. Unless you plan of confessing, that is." Skulker had given him evidence the previous night that told him who the real murderer was. It was kind of shocking as he looked through the information, but since he felt the victim got what he deserved, he has no intention of saying anything unless he had no choice. Unfortunately, a vengeful enemy of Daniel's had destroyed most of it. _I wonder if this is some sort of conspiracy. How did the police miss that during the search? Well, it wasn't inside the Fenton house, so I suppose I can understand why. _

"The prosecution rests, your honor." declared Baker.

"In that case, the defense calls John Lancer to the stand." Gonzales replied. Mr. Lancer stood up and took his place on the witness stand. "State your name and occupation for the court."

"My name is John Lancer and I have taught at Casper high for 14 years." Mr. Lancer replied.

"Did you ever hear any death threats towards Mr. Baxter by the students?" asked Gonzales.

"On a daily basis, I'm afraid. Mr. Baxter was known for bullying quite a few students?"

"Do you know how many?"

"25, 30, something like that. I told the school to act, but they were in his father's pocket and didn't do anything." (Vlad growled mentally at that)

"Did any of the death threats come from Mr. Foley, Miss Fenton, Miss Manson, and Miss Grey?"

"Mr. Foley always talked about getting back at him, although he never said he was going to kill him. I assumed he was referring to pranks. Miss Fenton never said anything, but always related her concerns to me. Miss Manson hated Mr. Baxter very much and was not shy about saying so. She, I believe, was the only one of the group who actually threatened him."

"And what of Miss Grey?"

"She had never threatened him, although she showed a clear dislike. There was one incident at the beginning of the year where Mr. Baxter came to school with bruises. He never said anything and looked embarrassed, but Miss Grey watched him with a satisfied smirk on her face."

"Is there anything else you can think of?"

"A couple of weeks before he was killed, Mr. Baxter stopped bullying Danny. I do not have any explanation, but perhaps Miss Grey finally got through to him."

"Objection, argumentative." Baker declared.

"Sustained." the judge replied. "Watch your step, Ms. Gonzales."

"Did he stop bullying any others?" asked Gonzales.

"No, he continued with the others." Mr. Lancer stated. "His primary target them became Mr. Foley, who get revenge through sending pictures through the internet. I didn't turn him in because I wanted some way for the students to be safe against him."

"What else, if anything, did you do?" asked Gonzales.

"I kept a close eye on Mr. Baxter, watching his every move. He wasn't foolish enough to continue harassing students while I was watching, though it wouldn't be too surprising if he did so outside the school."

"Did any of Danny's friends do something suspicious in the time span before Mr. Baxter was killed?"

"Miss Manson was reading a book of forensics and Miss Grey was looking up self defense techniques. I do not know if Mr. Foley or Miss Fenton did the same."

"No further questions."

"Mr. Lancer, can you explain the defendant's DNA that was found at the scene of the crime?" asked Baker.

"Mr. Baxter and Mr. Fenton sometimes had to work on group projects and they did so at Mr. Baxter's house." Mr. Lancer replied. "I never put them together, but other teachers did."

"Can you explain the murder weapon found in the defendant's home? Or the fingerprints that match the defendant?" Baker persisted.

"No, I'm afraid I can't."

"No further questions."

The defense called various classmates and Danny's parents to testify for him. Maddie confirmed that there were others who had access to the lab, although she admitted it was unlikely that anyone could come in without their knowledge. Finally, the list of witnesses was called and the defense rested.

"Closing arguments will be made at 11:00 tomorrow morning." the judge stated. "Court is adjourned."

"Yes, I will agree that my client had a motive." Mullins told the jury. "However, that can be said for dozens of students at Casper High. The prosecution will tell you that the physical evidence is damning, but it implicates other people as well. You heard testimony that 7 people have access to the Fenton lab, any one of whom could have committed the crime.

"My client is a compassionate, kind young man who has suffered a great deal. Again, the witnesses you heard testify to that. Also, the victim stopped bullying my client and instead focused on Mr. Foley, who hates the victim every bit as much as my client.

"I know that I cannot deny the physical evidence pointing to my client. However, some of my client's friends are well educated and could have found a method of hiding any incriminating evidence. The people admitted that they could not match up all the fingerprints and DNA, and that some refused to give them a DNA sample. I believe that calls for suspicion on their part.

"I do not know who killed Mr. Baxter and I will agree that it is a tragedy, despite his behavior. The thing is: neither do you. There are many people with motive and 7 who have access to the Fenton's basement. It is even possible that my client's parents killed him because of the way Mr. Baxter treated their son.

"Miss' Manson, Fenton, and Grey all have motives as well. Miss Grey and Mr. Foley have their parents to confirm their alibi, or so we think. It is not unheard of for parents to lie in order to protect their children. They could even be mistaken with the time frame. Miss' Fenton and Manson do not have anyone to back up their alibi, the former of which was reading about forensics. Both have ample reason to want Mr. Baxter dead. And there was no blood on the knife, so it is possible that it may not even be the murder weapon.

"I implore you: look past how this may seem. Do not send an innocent boy to prison. The Law requires you to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and there has been plenty of doubt uncovered. There is a possibility of my client's guilt, but also of 6 others. You must deliver a verdict of 'not guilty', ladies and gentlemen, or you will be condemning an innocent boy to death." That being said, Mullins sat down.

Baker stood up and addressed the jury as well. "The defense tells you to look past appearances. Well, look past the innocent boy façade and see the defendant for who he really is: a murderer. From the start, he was a suspect because he had motive, means, opportunity, and an unsubstantiated alibi. Later, the detectives found evidence of Mr. Baxter's mistreatment of the defendant. There was even a witness who put him at the scene.

"Upon searching his residence, police officers found 2 empty jugs of Drano in the bathroom and a knife hidden in the lab. There was no blood, but there was evidence of bleach and the fact that the defendant attempted to conceal it pointed further to his guilt.

"The defendant was arrested, DNA and fingerprints being taken and processed. The fingerprints were and 11-point match and the DNA matched perfectly. Over the course of this trial, you have heard countless evidence that incriminates the defendant. Several witnesses have described the relationship between the victim and defendant, one of whom the client's best friend.

"The defendant had threatened Mr. Baxter multiple times and used more extreme measures for revenge. He even drew a picture of Mr. Baxter lying dead, covered in blood. The defendant's parents were ghost hunting at the time the murder took place, Miss Grey and Mr. Foley were at their house. As for Miss' Manson and Fenton, they are intelligent and read merely to learn. I cannot deny that they show no love for the victim, but it is the defendant who hated him more than anyone.

"The defense tells you that the law requires you to believe his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. As far as I am concerned, there is no reasonable doubt. There is DNA, fingerprints, witness testimony, and the murder weapon, all of which incriminate the defendant. The defense attempts to steer you elsewhere by pointing out people who could have committed the crime with no other reason than a connection to the victim. Do your duty, ladies and gentleman. Find Mr. Fenton guilty of murder in the first degree."

"Jeez, they were out for 3 days." Jack stated the obvious. "That must mean there has to be some doubt as to his guilt."

"Danny's innocent; of course there is!" Maddie exclaimed. She, Jack, Danny, and Vlad were in the courtroom awaiting a verdict. They refused to allow the kids to come, especially Tucker, who the adults were furious at.

"I did say that I could conjure reasonable doubt." Vlad smirked. "Daniel will not spend a minute if prison if I have anything to say about it. The case seems strong, but I hired the best to poke holes in their evidence."

"I'm not so sure, guys." Danny sighed. "I don't have a good feeling about this."

"Danny, there's been plenty of reasonable doubt." Maddie protested. "I wasn't too happy about that Mullins guy pointing the finger at me and Jack, but I can live with it if it gets you acquitted."

"Come on, Daniel, show some optimism." Vlad suggested. He whispered in his ear. "7 of them believed there was reasonable doubt when I spied of them yesterday. Things are going in our favor."

"Madam Foreperson has the jury reached a verdict?" asked the judge.

"We have, your honor." she replied.

"Will the defendant please rise?" Danny reluctantly did so, turning his head away from the jury. Gonzales and Vlad put their hands on his back in support.

"On the charge of murder in the first degree, we find the defendant guilty as charged."

You're going to be pissed at me for this one, I'll bet. But there is still one more chapter to go and anything can happen. The true murderer will finally be revealed and I doubt most, if all of you, will see this coming. Besides, think of the evidence against Danny. It was strong, and he had no alibi. The defense attempted to suggest others could have committed the crime, but emotion can sometimes get the better of a jury. (In the unlikely event you figure out who it is, please do not spoil it for the others)

On a lighter note, after this story is done, my main focus will be on the DP/TT crossover. I will occasionally work on "Mistakes" but it will be infrequently. I plan on writing at least an hour a day if I am not busy with schoolwork, 2 on the weekends. I know you're tired of me being slow, so I'll see what I can do.

Let's shoot high this time. I want 10 reviews before I send the last chapter. (In addition to the time necessary to write it) Yes, death threats count.


	8. Conclusion

Can't believe this story is almost done! I've got a few more loose ends to tie up. All of you are speculating on who killed Dash. Well, let's see if any of you are right. The trial is not quite over, since they still have one thing to determine.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I thank you for your service." the judge declared. "Defendant is remanded until sentencing."

Danny was in a state of shock and did not protest as the police dragged him away. Maddie and Jack watched their son's helplessness, tears in their eyes. For once, even Vlad was in a state of shock, but quickly recovered. "This isn't over just yet." he told them. "The judge still has to decide whether she will punish him as an adult or a juvenile. We'll get him the most lenient punishment possible and appeal to a higher. I'll get Daniel out, I promise you."

"Thanks, V-man." Jack replied gratefully. "You're the best friend a guy could ask for."

"So who's going to be the one who gives Danny's friends the news?" asked Maddie. "I'm in no shape to do so."

"Let that to me, Maddie." Vlad suggested. "I am not in great emotional shape either, but someone has to tell them. They'll learn from the newspapers, in any case. Besides, I suspect one of them is responsible."

"If I had known what that boy did to my son, I'd been tempted to kill him myself." Jack declared. They got into the Fenton assault vehicle and drove home. They saw a couple of ghosts along the way, but even Jack was not in the mood to hunt them. They opened the door to see Sam and Jazz anxiously awaiting the news.

"So what happened?" asked Jazz. She looked over their faces. "Oh, god, he was convicted, wasn't he?"

"I'm afraid so, Jasmine." Jack replied sadly. "I can't believe they could do that to him."

"I told you to let me testify!" Sam yelled furiously. "I could have cleared him!"

"How could you have done that, Sam?" asked Maddie. "It's not your fault. All we can do now is make sure that Danny gets the lightest sentence possible. I shudder to think of what prison will do to him."

"Daniel has been convicted. Kill Baker." Vlad stated on his phone. The others looked at him. "I said, Daniel has been convicted. Let's bake his friends some cake. It's what my parents always did to calm me down… although Jack always ate most of it."

"Those were good times, weren't they, V-man?" Jack replied with a brief smile. The sadness soon returned to him, though. "Will your lawyers still be willing to defend him?"

"We have to do something to get him out of there!" Jazz insisted. "Organize a jail break if we have to!"

"Jazz, that's not going to do any good." Maddie disagreed. "We've got to get him out through legal means. Vlad, can you pull some strings?"

"Anything for Daniel, my dear." Vlad smirked. "The sentencing will be in a couple of days, so I'll be able to bribe- I mean Negotiate with other judges and let them know of a miscarriage of justice."

"I wish this didn't happen." Sam cried. "God only knows what kind of things Danny's suffering through right now."

The sentencing period of the trial had begun. Danny sat in his usual seat, a haunted look in his eyes. He said nothing as the witnesses were called to make their statement. Sam's parents had told the judge about what kind of person they knew he was and urged the judge to give him the harshest punishment possible.

"I do not believe Mr. Fenton is capable of murder; I want to make that perfectly clear." Mr. Lancer stated. He planned on doing everything in his power to make sure Danny was punished leniently. "In all honesty, I was not convinced by the evidence and believe that the jury made their verdict based on emotion rather than objectivity. Think of what prison will do to him. I beg of you, punish him as a juvenile. He is not beyond redemption and could very well be innocent."

"Thank you, Mr. Lancer." the judge told him. "Are there any others who wish to make a statement regarding this case?"

Mr. Baxter stood up and addressed the court. "I know that my son was probably not the best of people, but he did not deserve to be brutally murdered. This boy took him away from us and words cannot describe the pain I feel because of this loss. My son told me of what the defendant had done to him, of what crimes he had committed inside the school. He should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, your honor." He sat down, glaring at Danny with hatred. Paulina and Kwan made their statements as well, both wanting Danny to be punished as an adult.

Sam and Jazz both testified as well, pleading for Danny not to be hurt. "Please, your honor, he is a traumatized boy who has been through a great deal. The evidence does not even say for certain if he is guilty or not. Sending him to prison will permanently destroy him. You must know what it is like in there, particularly for juveniles. He could be killed or at least mentally scarred for the rest of his life. Do you want that hanging over your shoulders?" Sam stated essentially the same thing, but added that Danny was innocent and the judge would be condemning an innocent boy to death.

It was finally time for the attorneys to make their statements. Gonzales went first, emotional despite herself. "I know what the first impressions of such a crime would be. The first urge is to lock him up and throw away the key. I implore you to show leniency, your honor. Sending a juvenile to prison is the equivalent of a death sentence. New evidence may come around that proves him innocent and it will be very difficult to apologize to my client if he is dead.

"How many juveniles have been sentenced to adult prison in this city? You can count them on one hand. He may be guilty, he may not be, but he is not beyond redemption. The court has never sentenced someone so young to adult prison and the only ones who are sent there are murderous psychopaths, which my client is clearly not. He is a 15-year-old boy under unendurable stress. My client had no one to turn to; no one to trust, but neither did anyone else. He is being used as a scapegoat for the vengeful public. Please do not make their mistake, your honor. The purpose of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate, not punish.

"Finally, why is my client still proclaiming his innocence? He has nothing to gain and everything to lose. He has already been found guilty. A guilty plea and a show of remorse would be perfect for leniency, but he still denies it. I ask you to ponder why, your honor. Keep my client out of the adult justice system because there are others who could have committed the crime as well." Saying that, she sat down. Baker now had her turn to speak.

She had to admit, she was rather shaken with the attempt on her life the previous night. If not for her bodyguards, that mechanical ghost would have succeeded in his attempt. Regaining her composure, she began to speak. "Yes, it is true that the juvenile system is intended to rehabilitate them. However, there are some that the law cannot do anything for. The defendant is one of these people. 12 ordinary citizens stated that he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Add that to the river of evidence against him and it is next to impossible to be mistaken.

"The defense is trying to draw your sympathy towards the defendant. Instead think about the victim. Mr. Fenton slaughtered a helpless young man, who had no capability to defend himself. He stabbed the defendant 5 times, simply out of hatred. This is not a sign of innocence. This is not a sign of someone who can be rehabilitated.

"The defendant has a history of violence, escalating over the past year. He went to more and more extreme measures to get revenge against his tormentor and he had finally decided to be the judge, jury, and executioner. The defendant had other options. He could have gone to another school, in order to get away from the bullying. Instead he decided to murder a fellow student out of rage and anger.

"It is painfully clear that Mr. Fenton is dangerous. He has killed once, and what's to say that he won't kill again? If you treat him with kindness and leniency, your honor, you will be spreading the message to serious offenders everywhere, not merely the defendant, that the law is inefficient. He is a danger to society and you have an obligation to protect the public from such a person." She sat down, sighing.

"I will need time to make my decision." the judge told everyone. "Court will reconvene at 2:00 PM." With that, they left. Danny heard a pleading voice, but told the person to be silent. He was getting exactly what he deserved. What happened to him didn't matter anymore.

"Where is Vlad?" asked Maddie. "I can't believe after all this he abandoned us."

"Maddie, I'm sure he's doing something to help us." Jack reassured. "He's got connections we could only dream of. I just hope Danny can survive all this." Both Sam and Jazz were crying and Jack had to admit, it was difficult to stop himself from doing so, as well.

After what seemed like an eternity, the court was back in session. The judge made a deep sigh and began speaking. "This is far from an easy decision. I have weighed all the factors, and while the defendant is undoubtedly guilty, the punishment he deserves is a much more difficult decision to make. He has killed a defenseless classmate, shows no remorse, and has a boatload of evidence pointing to him. The defense has brought up some legitimate points concerning the justice system and it is true that no one so young has ever been sentenced to prison. That being said, based on the horrific nature of the crime and the defendant's history, I believe the defendant cannot be rehabilitated. Daniel Fenton, in accordance with the laws of California, I sentence you to a term of no less than 25 years and no more than the rest of your natural life in a place to be determined by the Department of Correction."

There were mixed screams of joy and shock. Maddie grabbed onto her son like his life depended on it. Jack flipped off the judge and prosecutor, promising a lawsuit. Finally, a voice shouted. "It was me! I did it! I killed him!" Of all people, it was….Jazz.

"Objection, your honor!" Baker exclaimed. "She is lying to protect the defendant!"

"I went to his house and brought the knife!" Jazz continued, tearing up yet again. "I stabbed him again and again because of what he did to my brother! I'm sorry, Danny! I'm so sorry!" She hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder.

"The prosecutor is right." Danny spoke up. "I killed Dash. My sister is lying to protect me." The officers began to take him away.

"Why, Danny, why?" she asked tearfully.

"You have a future Jazz, a wonderful life ahead of you. I don't and it's better that the worthless one take the fall." The Fentons left the courthouse, terribly upset. The adults couldn't even bring themselves to yell at Jazz and drove home in silence. Vlad soon joined them and offered his consolation. He took Jazz to a private room.

"I want to know what happened Jasmine." Vlad requested softly. "I know it's difficult, but you have to tell me."

Jazz sighed and began her story. "Two weeks before I killed Dash, I finally found out what happened to Danny. He was… raped by both Dash and his dad. I was furious and went to confront him. Dash laughed and offered a deal. He would leave Danny alone if I had sex with him and his dad. I did so, not wanting Danny to suffer any more.

"But it just got worse. I felt like a prostitute, but was willing to endure it for his sake. Dash broke his promise, though, and broke Danny's. I decided to get him out of his life permanently. I went to his house and he was expecting sex. I gave him alcohol and cocaine, saying it would increase the excitement. When he was helpless, I knew exactly where to stab him. I thought that was the end of it; I never expected Danny to go to prison1 I should have said something sooner!"

"Are you willing to testify to that?" Vlad asked, hugging her gently. "We can bring him to justice. Let me worry about getting Daniel out before any permanent damage is done. Are you willing to help me?"

"How can we prove it? He'll just say that's Danny's lying."

"I have various ways to create evidence. You'd be surprised what my technology can do. Just let Uncle Vlad take care of him."

Robbins and Smith walked to the Baxter house yet again, knocking on the door. Mr. Baxter answered the door and they immediately went into action.

"Put your hands behind your back." Smith demanded, cuffing him. "You are under arrest for the rape of Daniel Fenton and unlawful sexual intercourse. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you saw can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford and attorney, one will be provided for you by the state."

Finally, the story's done! Figured I'd show some justice, as well as giving a reason why Jazz killed Dash. As for what happens to Danny, well, I'm thinking about writing a sequel. Or maybe I'll simply leave it to your imagination. Please review!


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